Starter for outboard motors



May 13, 1941. L. J. FRANCI STARTER FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed April 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l L ondo cIFran cj/ INVENTOR ATTO R N EYS L.'J. FRANcl STARTER'FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS May 13, 1941.

Filed April 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Iii Londo c/TFrancj/ INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented May 13,1941

sranrna Foa ou'rnoaan MOTORS Londo J. Franci, Point Arena, Calif.

Application April 8, 1940, Serial No. 328,585

\ '1 claims. (o1. 115 -18) My invention relates broadly to new and useful improvements in outboard motors, and more particularly to a starting and steering mechanism therefor.

An important object of my invention is to provide an improved means for starting and steering an outboard motor, which means incorporates, in a unitary structure, a mechanism uniquely associated with the drive shaft of the motor in a manner to permit manual actuation thereof to start the motor and which is thereafter adapted to automatically disengage from the drive shaft i and to engage the motor housing in a manner to function as a steering means.

Another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of, the above-mentioned character that includes means to automatically release the starter mechanism from the drive shaft of the motor when the motor is running, and thatis automatic in its action to connect the starter mechanism to the shaft when it is desired to start the motor.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the above-mentioned character that includes locking means rendered operative during the starting operation to hold the motor housing against rotation relative to the boat to which it is attached, which means auto-' matically becomes inoperative when the mechanism is associated with the motor in a manner to steer the same.

Yet another obiet of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the above-mentioned charenter that is light and compact in its construction and that is efficient and efflcacious in the performance of its duties.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawings, forming a part of this speciilcation, and wherein like numerals areemployed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure l is a side elevation of an outboard motor, and showing .my improved starting and steering apparatus associated therewith,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the same, showing parts broken away, and the tlllerin locked engagement with the motor housin Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the tiIIer disengaged from the motor housing.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3, x

Figure 6 is a transverse on the line 6-8 of Figure 3, Figure 7 is a transverse on the line '|-'-'l of Figure 3,

Figure 8 is a transverse on the line 88 of Figure 2, v

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 2, and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the locking bolt embodying a part of'my invention.

sectional view taken sectional view taken In the'accompanying drawings, wherein for the. purpose ofi-illustration is shown a preferred em-' bodiment a my invention, the numeral II designates an outboard motor of conventional 'size and construction including a motor hood i6, and a drive shaft housing l'l through which the drive shaft l8 operates to rotate the propeller l9 through a miitable gearing (not shown). The lower end of the drive shaft housing is formed with a rudder 20 and the motor-hood I8 is formed with a handle 2|, which handle may be conveniently grasped by the person and permits the motor to be easily carried from place to place.

The attaching bracket 22 includes-an annular sleeve 23 which rotatably receives the drive shaft housing I! and is normally disposed with the upper edge thereof in abutting relation to the annular bead'24 integrally formed on the housing. The flange 25 bf the sleeve extends outwardly of the housing l1 and the clamp 28 is pivoted thereto by means of the pivot pin 21.

The clamp comprises spaced parallel members 3! and 32 joined at one end by the web 33 and disposed at opposite sides of the flange 25.-' The pivoted end of the clamp is substantially U- shaped to define the spaced parallel arms 28 and 29, which arms are adapted to embrace the back 30 of a boat, the arms 29 of the members being maintained in appressed relation with the outer face of the backboard 30 by the bolt threadedly received by the web 33. The arms 29 ofthe clamp terminate in outwardly extending arouately curved ends 35, which ends are disposed'in embracing relation to the motor housing and at opposite sides of the flange 36 formed integral with and depending from the sleeve portion 23. Threaded shanks 31 extend outwardly from the opposite sides of the flange 38 and through the arcuate slots 38 in the ends 32 of the clamp. The wing nuts 39 are threadedly received by the shanks exteriorly of the arms and are adapted to b'e threaded into appressed relation therewith to hold the bracket in the desired position and against pivotal movement about the pivot pin 21.

The tiller. 40 is mounted for pivotal movement sectional view taken 7 about the shank 4| depending from the bottom of the motor hood. The tiller includes hinged sections 42 and 43 which are extended in longitudinal alignment, as illustrated in Figure 2,

drive pinion carried by the drive shaft l8;

' shaft in the manner hereinbefore described. If

The pinion 41 is supported.- bythe integral flange 48 on the drive shaft and is formed with The sleeve 65 is integrally'attached to and extends radially from the motor housing in slight spaced relation above the flange 25 of the attaching' bracket. The locking bolt is slidable' within the sleeve and the upstanding abutment 66 is-received by the elongated slot 61 in-the sleeve to limit the sliding movementof the bolt. A coil spring 68 is disposed within the sleeve 65 rearwardly of the locking bolt andnormally acts to position the bolt in the extended position, .as illustrated in F gure 3. The transverse .slot 68 in the upper face of the locking bolt receives the depending shank 63 of the locking bar, which shank is received within the slot 10 of the sleeve upon 'retraction of the locking bolt therein. When the bolt is in the extended position the outer end thereof and the extending shank 63 diametrically opposed internal pockets 49 which receive the rollers 50. The end walls 5| of the pockets 49 are longer than the end walls 52 so that the bottom face 53 thereof defines a. cam face. than the diameter of the rollers 50-and the end walls--52 are of lesser length than the diameter The end walls 5| are of greater length of the rollers, whereby independent rotation of the gear about the drive shaft may be effected in "an anti-clockwise direction; however, upon rotation of the pinion in a clockwise direction,

the rollers will become wedged between the cam. -faces 53 of the pockets and the drive shaft to r lock the pinion to the drive shaft and to effect the rotation thereof upon rotation of the pinion.

When the tiller 40 extends inwardlytover the rearward end of the boat and in' spaced'p'aralgaged by the end 60 of the locking bolt upon piv lel relation with the flange 2,5 of the'attaching bracket, the end 54 of the rack will be positioned; in closest proximity to the pinion, whicikportion.

of the rack is not provided with teeth for a limited interval therealong to permit'the pinion" to have independent rotationrelative' thereto. Pivotal movement of the tiller in a direction to cause the teeth of the rack to, mesh with the pinion will. effect the rotation of the pinion in an anticlockwise direction. When rotating in this man-- of the locking bar will engage the upstandingabutment 8| to prevent further pivotal movement of the tiller in a clockwise direction. Retraction of the locking bolt within the sleeve will move the locking bar in the direction of the motor hood i6 and thereby cause the horizontally disposed end 60 thereof to move into the recess H of the keeper 12. The side wall 13 of the keeper defines a cam'iace adaptedto be enotal movement of the tiller in a clockwise direction and to guide the said end into the recess II.

The shank 14 of the actuating bolt 15 is connected to the locking bar and slidably supported by the upstanding flange 16. A coil spring TI is interposed between th locking bar and the flange l6 and normally ac to hold the end 60 of the bar seated within t e recess H of the keeper. The bolt 15 is sim' hinged sections 18 and-19 which may be folded one upon the other when the device is not in use. The section 19 terminates at its free end in a ring 80 adapted to receive the finger of the operator.

ner, the pinion may rotate independently of the the tiller is then rapidly moved in a clockwise di-' The operation of the device is as follows:

The device is normally positioned', as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, with the horizontally disposed end 60 of the locking bar seated in the recess-7| of the keeper 12. The coil spring 11 is of substantially greater strength than the rection, the rollers 50, will. bind the pinion to the 3 shaft to effect therapid rotation thereof, and

upon return. of the tiller to the initial position,

f the rack will disengage from the pinion. The impetus thus imparted to the .drive shaft M will be sufiicient to start the motor andthe re urn of the tiller to the initial position will b g the portion 54 of the rack adjacent to the pinion to permiiithe pinionto rotate without danger of meshing with the teeth of the rack. In the event. that'the motor does not start upon one-actuation of the tiller in the above manner, the operation may be repeated until the motor starts.

The section 62-01": the tiller is provided with V a longitudinallyextending central bore '55 the Y of the section and the=- end. 51 'thereof, opens through the bottom side of the section. A look ,bar 58 is slidably=mounted withinthe bore 55 randis formed at one end with an upwardly exend 58 of which'opens through the upper side 1 tending U-shaped portion 59 the end 50 of which is 'slidably received within the bore jfilof the sleeve 62, integrally formed on the upper side of the tiller. The shank'portion' 63 of the, locking bar extends downwardly from the tiller through the opening 51 ahd detachably engages the lock-.

ing bolt 54.

coil spring fiarearwardly of the locking bolt 84,

whereby the depending shank 63 of the bar will move the bolt to a retracted position. When thus retracted the extending end of the bolt will be moved rearwardly of the upstanding abut-Q ment 8! on the flange 25 of the supporting bracket. The positioning of the upper end of.

the locking bar within the recess H of the keeper l2 and the engagement of. the lower end thereof by the-sleeve E5 will fixedly look the tiller 40 against independent pivotal movement relative to the motor hood. Movement of the tiller will' effect the rotation-of the drive shaft housing I! relative to the supporting bracket in a manner to permit the boat toebe steered thereby.

If the motor should stop, and it is-desired to start the same, the tiller may be released from the housing by'retraction of the locking bar 58. This is best accomplished; as illustrated in Figure 5, by insertion of the operator's finger withinthering. 8,0 and manually retracting the bar against the resilient action of the coil spring TI. The bar should be retracted a sufflcient dis- -tance to disengage the end 50 thereof from the keeper i2 and to move thelocking bolt 84 into abutting rela tion with the abutment 8l.- The tiller may then be pivoted about the shank 4| independently of the motor H006 to move the rack 44 into engagement with the pinion 41 in 'the manner hereinbefore described. The abutment '6 ofthe locking bolt will be positioned in the outer end of the slot 61 in the sleeve to position the transverse slot 69 of the bolt in register with the path of travel of the depending shank 63 of the locking bolt when the tiller is reversely rotated to start the motor. When thetiller :reaches the initial position, the end 80 of the locking bolt will ride along the cam face 13 of the keeper 12 and automatically seat within the reces H thereof, and the.depending shank 63 will engage the abutment ill to prevent the tiller from swinging too far in a clockwise direction. The depending shank 63 will be received by the registering slot 69 in the locking bolt and retraction of the end 60 of the bar 2 within the recess ii in the keeper will move the locking bolt to the retracted position within the. sleeve 65 to again permit steering of the boat by the tiller 4B;

It may thus be seen that I have provided a combined steering and starting apparatus for an outboard motor that is simple and compact in its construction, that will efllciently and emhold the housing against pivotal movement relative to the bracket upon disengagement of the said bar element from the housing.

3. In an outboard motor having the drive shaft housing. pivotally mounted in an attaching bracket,- a starting and steering apparatus comprising a drive pinion carried by the drive shaft of the motor, a tiller pivoted to the motor housing, an arcuate rack bar carried by the tiller and engageable with the pinion to rotate the same upon independent actuation of the tiller, a looking bar slidably carried by the tiller and normally engaging the motor housing to prevent independent actuation of the tiller and to permit pivotal actuation of the housing by the tiller, and means ,actuated by. the locking bar to hold the motor housing against pivotal movement upon disencaciously perform its duties and that is extremely simple'and substantially automatic in its opera tion Retraction of the actuating bolt will permit the tiller to act independently of the ,motor and to operate as a starter.

Each time the drive shaft; I8 is rotated by the return of the tiller to the initial position, the device will automatically lock the tiller to the motor housing to prevent independent rotation thereof relative to the motor and to' permit the same to operate as a steering tiller. I

- It is to be understood that the form, of my gagement of the locking bar from the said housing,

J 4. In an outboard motor having the drive shaft housing pivotally mounted in an attaching bracket, 9. starting and steering apparatus comprising a drive pinion carried by the drive shaft of the motor, a tiller pivoted to the motor housing, an arcuate rack bar carried by the tiller and engageable with the pinion to rotate-the same,

upon independent actuation of the tiller, and a manually actuated bar element carried by the tiller and normally in spring pressed engagement 1 with the housing to prevent independent pivotal movement of the tiller relative to the housing.

5. In an outboard motor ving the drive shaft housing pivotally mount bracket, a starting and steeing apparatus cominvention, herewithshown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and

' that various changes in the size, shape and ar-,

rangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of., my invention, or

scope'of the appended claims. Having thus described my '1'. In an outboard motor. having the drive shaft 1 housing pivotally mounted inan attaching bracket, a starting and steering apparatus comprising a tiller carried by the motor housing and adapted to be rocked about a vertical axis, means de- [tachably J locking the tiller against independent mpivotal movement, means cooperative with the first-mentioned means to automatically lock the motor housing against pivotal movement relative to the attaching bracket upon disengagement of the said first-mentioned means from the housing, a pinionicar'ried by the drive shaft of the motor, and gear means carried by the tiller, said gear invention, I claim:

means being engageable with the pinion and adapted to impart rotation thereto upon disengagement of the first-mentioned means to permit independent pivotal movementof the tiller about its verticalaxi's; a

2. In an outboard motor having the drive shaft housing 'pivotally -mounted' in an attaching bracket, a starting and steering apparatus comprising a drive pinion carried by the drive shaft of the motor, a-tiller pivoted to the motor housing, 'an arcuate rack bar carriedby' the tiller and engageablewith the pinionito rotate the same upon independent actuation ofthetiller, a I

v in engagement with the motor housing to permit pivotal actuation of the said housing by the tiller,

manually actuated barv element carried by the tiller and normally in spring'pressed engagement =2, with the housing 110 prevent independent pivotal movement of the tiller relative to .thehousing, I

and means cooperative with the bar element to prising a drive pinion carried the drive shaft of the motor, a tiller pivoted to th motor housing,

an arcuate rack bar carried by the tiller and the attaching bracket to hold the motor housing against rotation but permitting pivotal actuation of the tiller independently of the housing to effect the rotation of the said drive pinion.

6. A starting and steering device foroutboard motors comprising a pinion carried by the motor shaft, a tiller pivoted to the motor housing, a rack carried by the tiller and engageable with the pinion to rotate the same upon movement of the tiller, said pinion being engageable with the shaft when rotated in one direction but rotating freely thereon when rotated in the opposite direction, a locking bar slidably associated with the tiller and movable into engagement with the motor housing to hold the said tiller against pivotal movement, and a locking bolt slidably associated with the motor housing" and actuated by the locking bar, said bolt being inoperativewhen the locking bar is and engageable with, a stationary part upon disengagement of. the locking bar from the motor housing to hold the hous ing against pivotal movement.

, '1. 'In an outboard motor having the drive shaft housing pivotally mounted in an attaching bracket, a starting and'steering apparatus comin an attaching prising a. drive pinion carried by' the drive shaft of the motor, a. tiller pivoted to the motor. housing, an arcuate rack bar named by the tiller and engageable with the pinion to rotate the same upon actuation of the tiller, a locking bar slidably said locking bar, whereby engagement of the firstment'ioned end of the locking bar with the housing will retract the locking bolt into the casing and move the second-mentioned end of the bar 5 into the longitudinal slot of the. casing, but disengagement of the first-mentioned end of the bar from the housing will disengage the second-mentioned end thereof from the casing and move the said bolt into engagement with a part of the said 10 attaching bracket.

LONDO J. FRANCI. 

